Botanical classification/cultivar denomination: Argyranthemum frutescens cultivar Supalife.
The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Argyranthemum plant, botanically known as Argyranthemum frutescens and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name xe2x80x98Supalifexe2x80x99.
The new Argyranthemum is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Cobbitty, New South Wales, Australia. The objective of the program is to create and develop new compact Argyranthemum cultivars with numerous inflorescences, interesting inflorescence form, and attractive ray floret coloration.
The new Argyranthemum originated from a cross-pollination by the Inventor in the spring of 2000, of a proprietary selection of Argyranthemum frutescens identified as X99.1.1, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent, with a proprietary selection of Argyranthemum frutescens identified as X99.1.3, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Argyranthemum was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Cobbitty, New South Wales, Australia in September, 2001. The selection of the new Argyranthemum was based on its attractive inflorescence form and ray floret coloration.
Asexual reproduction of the new Argyranthemum by terminal cuttings taken in a controlled environment in Cobbitty, New South Wales, Australia since September, 2001, has shown that the unique features of this new Argyranthemum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.
The new Argyranthemum has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.
The following characteristics have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be basic characteristics of xe2x80x98Supalifexe2x80x99 and distinguish the new Argyranthemum as a new and distinct cultivar:
1. Compact, mounded, upright and outwardly spreading plant habit.
2. Freely branching habit, dense and bushy plants.
3. Freely flowering habit with numerous inflorescences per plant.
4. Double inflorescence form with white-colored ray florets.
Plants of the new Argyranthemum differ from plants of the female parent selection in inflorescence form and ray floret coloration as plants of the female parent selection have anemone-type inflorescences with pink-colored ray florets. In addition, plants of the new Argyranthemum are more compact than plants of the female parent selection. Plants of the new Argyranthemum differ primarily from plants of the male parent selection in inflorescence form as plants of the male parent selection have daisy-type inflorescences.
Plants of the new Argyranthemum can be compared to plants of the cultivar Supagem, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,826. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Cobbitty, New South Wales, Australia, plants of the new Argyranthemum differed from plants of the cultivar Supagem in the following characteristics:
1. Plants of the new Argyranthemum were more compact than plants of the cultivar Supagem.
2. Inflorescences of plant of the new Argyranthemum were more uniform than inflorescences of plants of the cultivar Supagem.